What the Earl Needs Now (The Earls Next Door Book 2)

by Michelle Willingham

  Matthew’s expression was grim, and his suspicions were heightened. “And he waited until your brother was gone.” His finger slid beneath the chain she wore, lifting the ring from her bodice.

  “It doesn’t matter. Regardless, I told him I was going to marry you.”

  “And how did he respond to that?”

  “He. . .warned me about you.” She wondered whether Matthew would be offended by Lord Davonshire’s gossip. But it was better for him to know the truth, she decided. “He said there was a great deal of scandal surrounding your name. And that many people believed you were a bastard.”

  At that, Matthew’s expression tightened, and he stepped back from her. His demeanor sobered, and he reached for the fallen package. “I learned of the rumors, too. And we should talk about them.”

  “I don’t care about the gossip,” she said. “Let people say what they will. It changes nothing between us.”

  He handed her the wrapped package. “Open it.”

  The package was heavier than she’d expected, and she sat down, untying the string. When she pulled away the brown paper, she saw dozens of letters. “What are these, Matthew?”

  “Open one and see. The rest are the same.”

  She chose the top letter and opened it, reading the note in silence. Then she folded it and regarded him. “They no longer want you to attend their ball.”

  “No. And every last invitation I’ve received in the past fortnight has been revoked.” He reached for the package and pulled the letters free. “All the invitations are from families I believed were my friends. Even the invitations sent to my mother were rescinded.”

  She was shocked to hear it. “Why would they do this? It’s just idle gossip, isn’t it?”

  He took back the letters and set them aside. “And what if the rumors were true, Lily?”

  “What do you mean?” He was behaving as if he knew something, when she’d expected him to deny it. Hadn’t he dismissed the stories the last time?

  Matthew took a seat near the hearth, resting his wrists upon his knees. “I recently learned that Charlotte was not my mother. She and my father adopted me as a newborn infant and claimed me as their own.”

  For a moment, she could say nothing, for it didn’t sound like it could possibly be real. “If that were true, why would she reveal it now?”

  “Because we are being blackmailed.”

  She came to sit closer to him, listening as he revealed everything. . .how he had been conceived, that Juliette was his true mother, and how Sarah Carlisle had been demanding money. While he spoke, she reached for his hand, realizing how difficult this was for him. His entire life had been built upon a lie, and he had to grasp a new truth.

  But he needed to know that she would stand by him, no matter what. “Matthew, you are the Earl of Arnsbury, and nothing can change that. Your father—Lord Arnsbury—raised you to be his son, and since he swore to it, it must be accepted. He was your father in every sense of the word.”

  He squeezed her hands. “I know it. But all the families in London suddenly don’t believe I am the earl. They think I am an imposter, as if I tried to deceive them. They want nothing more to do with me.” He reached for the notes and dropped them on the floor of the drawing room. “This would be our life, Lily. Ostracized from polite society. It’s not right or fair.”

  She moved closer to him. “I don’t care. I want to be with you as your wife. For better or for worse.”

  “But this isn’t the life I want for you.” He stood, stepping over the letters. “You’ve done nothing wrong, and I don’t want you to be isolated because of this.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” She didn’t truly believe her friends would turn their backs on her. And Matthew was still the man she loved, the man she wanted to spend the rest of her days with.

  “It does matter,” he said dully. “And nothing I say or do will end the talk.” He took a step away from her. “It’s a war I don’t know how to fight.”

  This revelation had changed him, tearing away the childhood he had known. She didn’t ask how he had learned of this. What mattered was letting him see that she loved him still.

  She drew her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest. “Then let me fight with you.”

  Juliette Fraser sat with her three sisters, Amelia, Victoria, and Margaret, and their aunt Charlotte. Despite being around her dearest family, she felt a sense of fear drawing around her like a cloak. During the past hour, she had spilled out her darkest secrets, secrets that Charlotte already knew, but her sisters did not.

  She was almost afraid to look at them, worried that they would be ashamed of her. But she could no longer keep them from knowing the truth about Matthew. Not now, when he needed her.

  Margaret was the first to speak. Her face drawn with worry, and she spoke softly. “I think I always suspected it. You loved Matthew more than a cousin, and whenever we visited Charlotte, he was always in your arms.” Then her tone shifted. “Had I known what Strathland did to you, I would have shot him myself.”

  Victoria said nothing but reached out and squeezed Juliette’s hand.

  Amelia appeared stunned into speechlessness. Juliette had never before seen her sister so taken aback. Finally, she spoke. “I cannot believe you kept this from us all these years.” Her emotions were bright, her eyes gleaming with tears. “How could you bear this burden alone?”

  “Because it meant keeping Matthew’s inheritance safe. There was no other choice.” Juliette leaned back in her chair, releasing Victoria’s hand. “Now the gossip is circulating, and I have to protect my son. For that reason, I have asked Sarah Carlisle to pay a call on us today.”

  “Why on earth would we want anything to do with that woman?” Margaret interrupted. “After all that her brother did to you—”

  “I was not the only victim,” Juliette said. “Matthew said she is destitute, and any stories she might have spread were out of desperation. I want to see her for myself and discover how we can force the gossip to die down.”

  “Are you certain she is the source of it?” Victoria ventured. “Could there be someone else who holds a grudge against Matthew?”

  Juliette shrugged. “I cannot say. But for now, we can meet with her and find out what may be done. She should be arriving at any moment.”

  Amelia’s expression held steel. “If she was the source of the gossip, she deserves whatever ruin she lives in. I’ll not lift a finger to help her.”

  In answer, Juliette held out the note she had received from Matthew. “Look at this.” Though she understood Amelia’s hatred toward the Earl of Strathland and his sister, she did not hold Sarah to blame for the attack. Rather, she pitied the woman for having to live with such a brother.

  Amelia took the letter and read it, but her annoyance didn’t diminish. “Why would Matthew want to help a woman who tried to ruin him?”

  “Because she was the victim of gossip, and Matthew’s father was caught with her—though I don’t think they did anything wrong. But the scandal ruined her chances of marriage. Matthew believes if we set her up with a good husband, she will let the matter go. Though he did say that she was rather. . .angry and reluctant.”

  “I cannot imagine a woman like Sarah Carlisle would let it go,” Amelia said, handing back the letter. A footman arrived at that moment, and she shrugged. “But if she’s already here, I suppose we can hear what she has to say.”

  The servant inclined his head in silent admission that their guest had arrived. As he departed to show her in, Juliette turned to Amelia. “Let me speak to her first.”

  After a moment, Sarah Carlisle appeared in the entrance. She was dressed in gray, and her hair was coiled atop her head. Time had carved ridges of unhappiness on her face. At first, she didn’t seem at all eager to join them, but Juliette stood. “Please come in.”

  The woman eyed them all as if she were entering a pit of vipers. But she took the chair Juliette offered. Silence descended, and for a moment, it se
emed that the woman wanted to flee their presence.

  Juliette took a moment to calm herself. Sarah had changed over the years, and bitterness had stolen her looks. But the question was whether the woman still possessed a heart.

  “Will you have a cup of tea?” she offered.

  Sarah hesitated. “That depends on whether you’ve put poison in it.” Her posture remained ramrod straight, and Juliette didn’t stop her smile this time.

  “We’re not that terrible, Miss Carlisle.”

  At that, the woman shook her head. “I have no idea why I even came here. I know you loathe and despise me.”

  “Because you’re trying to destroy our cousin’s inheritance,” Amelia snapped.

  Juliette pushed back a groan, knowing there was no stopping her sister now. Once Amelia decided someone was an enemy, she would not reverse her course.

  But Sarah turned to face the animosity. “Don’t you mean your nephew?”

  Amelia’s glare turned heated. “My sister asked me not to interfere, and for her sake, I will not. But were it up to me, I would have nothing to do with you.”

  At that, Juliette stood between the women. She guided Amelia to sit back and sent her a warning look. To Sarah, she said, “I have only just told my sisters about Matthew’s birth.”

  Miss Carlisle met her gaze, and she eyed the door. “Shall I go, then? It seems that my presence here is a waste of time.”

  “No.” Juliette said. “Matthew asked me to intervene, and so I shall. I believe you want our help, else you would not have come.”

  At that, the woman’s expression turned tired. “There is nothing you can do to help me. And despite what you might think, I did not spread the stories about him. Someone else did.”

  “I don’t believe y—” Amelia started, but Juliette cut her off.

  “Enough.” She pulled her chair beside Sarah’s. “What we all want is for Matthew to be happy and to put the past behind him. And if you are willing to put it to rest, we may be able to help you find your own happiness. If you wish to try.”

  “No man would have someone like me,” Sarah said quietly. “I’m too old, and I would only make myself into a fool.”

  It was then that Victoria spoke up. “All of us have seen better days. But I know many widowers who are quite lonely in their years. Some desire only companionship.”

  She studied them, and Juliette saw a wistful glimpse of hope in the woman’s eyes before she shuttered it. “I don’t know.”

  “If you agree to never speak of Matthew’s past—and if you help us silence the rumors—we will do everything we can to help you,” Juliette said. “Speak up on his behalf, and insist that Matthew is legitimate. Do this for him and for us. And in return, you’ll have another chance at your own happiness.”

  “Next Friday,” Victoria said. “I want you to attend my Christmas ball. There will be hundreds of people there, and you will be treated like an honored guest.”

  “I don’t belong in a duchess’s house,” Sarah insisted, her face coloring. “I wouldn’t know what to say or how to act. It’s been far too long.”

  At that, Margaret released a sigh. “I cannot say as I trust you, either, but I know what it is to be stared at by society. When Cain and I took over Aphrodite’s Unmentionables as our family business, many households refused to receive us. But we learned how to overcome it.” She assessed Sarah and said, “I even know a few of the widowers Toria spoke of. Some would marry a stick of wood if it smiled at them.”

  A horrified choking sound came from Sarah, and Juliette realized it was a laugh. The woman covered her mouth and gathered her composure. “Well, then. I suppose if they would marry a stick of wood, then there’s hope for me.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “They are behaving as if we don’t exist.”

  Matthew didn’t miss the discomfort in Lily’s tone as she took his arm. And she was right. Although the Christmas ball was hosted by the Duchess of Worthingstone, most of the guests had turned a cold shoulder to them.

  “Does it bother you?” he asked quietly. “We could leave.” On her cheeks, he could see the flush of embarrassment. Though Lily had insisted that she wanted to face them down, it angered him that people were ignoring her. There was no cause for it whatsoever.

  “I would not give them the satisfaction,” she said, raising her chin and entering the ballroom. There were garlands of greenery hung throughout the rooms, and the scent of mulled wine filled the air. A few oranges were set about for color, along with holly. And near the far end of the room, a bundle of mistletoe hung above a discreet corner.

  Matthew guided her inside, but several of the older women leaned toward one another, whispering. Lily tried to brave a smile, but it didn’t meet her eyes.

  She walked toward one of the matrons and nodded in greeting. “It is so good to see you, Mrs. Everett. And how is your daughter? I understand Viscount Burkham is courting her.”

  The matron’s eyes glazed over as if she didn’t see Lily, and she turned to her friend. “Lady Compton, I must say, I am surprised at the duchess’s guest list for this ball. One would think she would allow the rabble off the streets to come and mingle with us.”

  Matthew was not going to let the spiteful cats have the last word. “Quite right,” he said. “Lady Lily, you would not wish to lower yourself to converse with”—he narrowed his gaze at the women—“rabble.”

  He didn’t give the older women the chance to reply but took Lily’s hand and led her further into the ballroom. Her face was bright with color, as if their words had been a physical slap. “I never expected them to be so terrible to our faces,” she confessed. “I knew there were whispers of gossip, but this went beyond my expectations.”

  He studied her closely, wondering if he could give her the life she deserved. This woman had stood by him through the worst moments he’d ever endured, and it meant everything to him.

  “We will go and speak with my cousins,” he said. “They will not spurn us.” A waltz had begun, and he took Lily toward the dancing. Matthew rested his hand upon the small of her back, but she had grown pale. He didn’t know why she was putting herself through this, but for the moment he said, “Look at me, Lily.” She raised her gaze to his, and in her hazel eyes, he saw fear. “We don’t need them.”

  “We have to make our peace with the scandal,” she corrected. “You will have to live in London for part of the year.”

  He knew his Parliamentary responsibilities, but there were other possibilities. “You need not come with me. We could build a house nearer to Penford so you could see your mother whenever you wanted.”

  Her face softened. “I would like to live near her for part of the year. But we cannot run away from this scandal. We must confront it and face it down.” Her hand squeezed his, and in that moment, he loved her courage.

  “There is nothing that will part us again, Lily. I promise you that.”

  She managed a smile, and the warmth of it slid over him like a caress. After the dance, she tucked her hand in the crook of his arm as he led her toward the Duchess of Worthingstone. He was confident that the matrons would shield Lily from the gossip. And in the meantime, he wanted to find out exactly whom he could number among his true friends.

  Just then, he saw an older woman join the duchess and her sisters. She wore a demure gown of light blue, but there were traces of silver thread within the fabric that made it gleam in the candlelight. The woman appeared nervous, twisting her hands as she glanced around.

  The Duchess of Worthingstone smiled at him as he approached, and Matthew understood what the women had done. Instead of casting out Sarah Carlisle, they were attempting to make her an ally, doing just as he’d offered.

  And it did appear to be working. He was uncertain what to think of it.

  He greeted the duchess, bowing to her. “Your Grace. Thank you for the invitation this evening.”

  “We are delighted to have you with us, Lord Arnsbury.” She held out her hand for him to
kiss, and then Matthew received warm greetings from her sisters, Amelia, Margaret, and Juliette, who held his hand the longest.

  He had always been close to his godmother, and now he understood why. There was another blood bond between them, one that would never be broken. And instead of being encircled by cousins, they were his aunts.

  Sarah Carlisle had tried to slip away, but Amelia caught her arm. “Oh, no, you don’t. You’re not running away this time. Not after all the trouble we went to.”

  Miss Carlisle let out a sigh. “I feel like a fool,” she admitted. Her gray hair had been swept into a newer style. “I wanted to wear a black gown.”

  “It would make you look old,” Amelia countered. “And that is not our intention this evening.”

  “I am old,” Miss Carlisle insisted. “Why should I pretend to be someone I am not? I cannot believe I let you talk me into a gown like this.”

  “It will get you noticed,” Margaret said. “And we have chosen three gentlemen to introduce to you. You know what you must do in return.”

  “I’ve never felt so ridiculous in all my life.” She fanned herself, but Matthew saw that they had indeed made her look better. Instead of wearing a bitter frown, she appeared to be a nervous debutante.

  “Would you like me to walk with you?” Lily offered.

  Sarah appeared taken aback. “I’m. . .not certain.”

  He exchanged a look with her, and Lily said, “Don’t be afraid. Mrs. Sinclair and I can accompany you.” She offered a mischievous smile to Amelia. “I realize that Lady Castledon would terrify all of your suitors.”

  “Why would you want to help someone like me?” the old woman asked bluntly. “After all that I’ve done.”

  Because Lily has a heart greater than nearly every woman in this ballroom, Matthew thought. She was generous and kind, seeing the good that lay beneath the surface.

  “You made your choices out of necessity, I think.” Lowering her voice, she added, “And besides, there are better ways of supporting yourself than blackmail.”

  Sarah shot her an indignant look, but Lily only laughed. “Come along.”